Cyclone Nisarga, which intensified into a "severe cyclonic storm" Wednesday morning, has made landfall in Maharashtra's Alibaug. Follow live updates here.
Cyclone Nisarga, hovering over the Arabian Sea 190 km from Mumbai, is likely to make landfall at the coastal town Alibaug near the megapolis between 1 pm and 4 pm on Wednesday. Already battling a raging pandemic, Mumbai hasn't experienced a serious cyclone landfall since 1891.
In Gujarat, nearly 50,000 people living in coastal areas of South Gujarat and some 4,000 residents of the neighbouring Union Territory of Daman have so far been shifted to safer places.
Cyclone Nisarga, headed towards the coastline of Maharashtra and Gujarat, comes a week after Cyclone Amphan wreaked havoc in West Bengal.
Below are the live updates:
3:09 PM: Over 40,000 people living near the sea coast in Mumbai were shifted to safer places in view of the cyclone 'Nisarga' which made a landfall at Alibaug in neighbouring Raigad district of Maharashtra on Wednesday, officials said.
2:49 PM: Tin roof atop a building in Raigad blown away due to strong winds:
2:43 PM: "The rear part of the wall cloud region is still over the sea and the landfall process will be completed in one hour. Its current intensity near the centre is 90-100 kmph to 110kmph. It will move northeastwards and weaken into a cyclonic storm during next 6 hours," says IMD.
2:12 PM: Latest Visuals of Cyclone Nisarga:
2:08 PM: Vehicular movement on iconicBandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai was suspended on Wednesday in light of cyclone 'Nisarga' which began landfall near Alibaug, about 95 km from Mumbai, police said.
1:40 PM: In the wake of Cyclone Nisarga, BMC shifted the inmates of the Byculla Zoo including tiger, leopard, hyena, various reptiles and others, into their holding areas at the zoo.
1:36 PM: "About 43 NDRF teams are deployed in two states; of which 21 are in Maharashtra. Nearly 1 lakh people have been evacuated from the cyclone spot, said SN Pradhan, NDRF Director General.
1:30 PM: Imagery from INSAT-3D:
1:25 PM: Cyclone Nisarga is moving along the predicted path as stated by the IMD and in southern parts of Maharashtra the signs of cyclone building up are evident, DG NDRF said.
1:16 PM: Latest visuals from Maharashtra:
1:14 PM: The center of the Cyclone is very close to Maharashtra coast. The northeast sector of the Eye of the Severe cyclone is entering into the land, IMD said.
1:13PM: India Meteorological Department said that landfall of the severe Cyclone Nisarga has started and will be completed in next three hours.
1:00PM: Cyclone Nisarga makes landfall in Alibaug
12:57 PM: Around 35 schools have been turned into temporary shelters, and citizens are appealed to relocate there to ensure their safety, stated BMC.
12:56 PM: National Disaster Response Force team evacuated local residents near the seashore in Mumbai's Versova on Wednesday to safer places through buses, with the help of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
12:53 PM: Cyclone Nisarga will cross Maharashtra coast between Harihareshwar & Daman, very close to Alibaug between 1 pm to 4 pm; Latest visuals from Alibaug:
12:39PM: Cyclone Nisarga will make landfall in another 30 minutes near Alibaug and the process will be completed during next three hours
12:17PM: In Gujarat, the cyclone would have maximum impact on the coastal districts of Valsad and Navsari, followed Bharuch and Surat, Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue, Pankaj Kumar said.
12:16PM: 15 NDRF and four State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed in parts of the coastal districts of Maharashtra.
11:57AM: The Central Railway (CR) rescheduled special trains and many airlines also cancelled their Mumbai operations. The CR has rescheduled, diverted and regulated some trains on Wednesday, an official said. These include five special trains departing from Mumbai. Three special trains will be either diverted or regulated enroute.
11:55AM: The IMD said the storm may also gust to 120 kmph and is approaching the coastal belt at a speed of 11 kmph.
11:50AM: Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar will be under the influence of the storm. In Mumbai too, the winds may flow at 100 kmph to 110 kmph.